Itea virginica

Itea virginica, the Virginia willow, or Virginia sweetspire is small North American flowering shrub of low woods and wetland margins. Virginia willow is a member of the Iteaceae family, and native to the southeast United States.[1] Itea virginica has small flowers on pendulous racemes.[2] Known to bloom in late spring to early summer. Prefers moist rich soil, but it can tolerate a wide range of soil types. Virginia willow is used in horticulture can form large colonies and may form dense root suckers, making the shrub harder to remove.

Description

Itea virginica is a deciduous shrub that grows to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) tall and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) broad, with alternate, simple leaves on arching stems. The flowers are white or cream, borne in downward pointing slightly curved spikes, in summer. It is a multi-stemmed, suckering and colonizing plant, with the stems branching infrequently except at the tops. In favorable conditions it may become semi-evergreen. The leaves turn shades of red in fall (autumn). It is hardy down to at least −15 °C (5 °F).[3]

Itea virginica
Flowering branch
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Iteaceae
Genus: Itea
Species:
I. virginica
Binomial name
Itea virginica

Conservation

Itea virginica has a current IUCN status of Least Concern.[4] However, Itea virginica is considered extirpated in Pennsylvania and endangered in Indiana.

Taxonomy

Itea virginica belongs to the Iteaceae, a family of deciduous and evergreen shrubs.[5] It is the only species in its genus in North America, most Itea spp. are from east Asia. Some authors have historically placed Virginia sweetspire in the Grossulariaceae or Saxifragaceae.[6]

Horticulture

In cultivation in the UK the cultivar ‘Henry’s Garnet’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[7][8] Itea virginica is used as native ornamental landscape plant in North America and numerous cultivars have been named.[9] The flowers attract pollinators and can be used for erosion control.[10]

References
  1. "Home | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-25.
  2. "Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet' - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2020-12-01.
  3. Brickell, Christopher, ed. (2008). The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 582. ISBN 9781405332965.
  4. "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  5. "Plants Profile for Itea virginica (Virginia sweetspire)". plants.usda.gov. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  6. Radford, Albert E. (1968). Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Ahles, Harry E., Bell, C. Ritchie. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-1087-8. OCLC 355003.
  7. "RHS Plantfinder - Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'". Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  8. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 56. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  9. "Virginia Sweetspire". Home & Garden Information Center. Clemson University. December 17, 2019. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
  10. "Home & Garden Information Center". hgic.clemson.edu. Clemson University. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  • Proven Winners


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.